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Useful Tropical Plants

Hamelia axillaris

Sw.

Rubiaceae

+ Synonyms

Duhamelia axillaris (Sw.) Pers.

Hamelia appendiculata C.F.Gaertn.

Hamelia breviflora A.Rich.

Hamelia chrysantha Jacq.

Hamelia declinata Sessé & Moc.

Hamelia lucida Desf.

Hamelia lutea J.B.Rohr ex Sm.

Common Name:

Hamelia axillaris
Inflorescence just starting to open
Photograph by: Environmental Sciences Program, Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
© Smithsonian Tropical Research Institute
Hamelia axillaris Hamelia axillaris Hamelia axillaris

General Information

Hamelia axillaris varies in habit from a low, often straggling, evergreen shrub with slender branches that rarely grows taller than 1.8 metres, to a small tree up to 5 metres tall, rarely to 9 metres[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
369
Title
Flora of Costa Rica
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C.
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; Chicago
Year
1938
ISBN
 
Description
Rather dated, but an excellent treatment of the area. Available for download from the internet.
].
The plant is harvested from the wild for local medicinal use. It is sometimes grown in home gardens in Ecuador[
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Known Hazards

None known

Botanical References

331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/

Range

S. America - Brazil, Bolivia, Peru, Ecuador, Colombia, Venezuela; C. America - Panama to Mexico; Caribbean - Trinidad to Cuba.

Habitat

An understorey shrub in dense, primary forest at elevations up to 1,500 metres[
331
Title
Flora of Guatemala
Publication
 
Author
Standley P.C. & J. A. Steyermark
Website
http://www.archive.org/
Publisher
 
Year
1946 - 1976
ISBN
 
Description
A superb reference, though somewhat dated. Gives lots of plant uses as well as information on plant habit and habitat. The entire flora (13 volumes) can now be downloaded from http://www.archive.org/
,
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
]. Wet or moist mountain forests in the Caribbean.

Properties

Medicinal Rating *  *
HabitEvergreen Shrub
Height2.00 m
Cultivation StatusCultivated, Wild

Cultivation Details

Not known

Edible Uses

None known

Medicinal

The root is grated and boiled to make a decoction which is taken as a remedy for diarrhoea and stomach ache[
521
Title
Useful Plants of the Siona and Secoya Indians of Eastern Ecuador.
Publication
Fieldiana Botany New Series No. 15
Author
Vickers W.T.; Plowman T.
Website
http://www.biodiversitylibrary.org
Publisher
Field Museum of Natural History; USA.
Year
1984
ISBN
0015 - 0746
Description
Very terse, but it gives the uses of a large number of species. It can be downloaded from the Internet.
].

Other Uses

None known

Propagation

Seed -
Cite as: Tropical Plants Database, Ken Fern. tropical.theferns.info. 2024-10-12. <tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Hamelia+axillaris>

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